Activists fight Beck for King legacy

Civil rights movement activists and others gathered Saturday at a high school stadium in Washington to celebrate the historic "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr. in an event that also was aimed at countering a larger rally organized by conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck at the site where King gave his speech in 1963.

Organizers of Beck's rally said it was meant to "restore" America's dignity, honor the sacrifice of its patriots and promote the values of faith, hope and charity — key components of what is thought of as the "American dream." But many in the counter-rally were appalled that Beck chose to use the anniversary of King's historic speech to espouse his conservative principles on the Lincoln Memorial steps.

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"The folks who criticize our marches are now trying to march themselves," the Rev. Al Sharpton, an organizer of the counter-rally, said. "They may have the Mall, but we have the message. They may have the platform, but we have the dream. The dream was not states' rights."

Both rallies claimed to represent King's legacy and included members of the slain civil rights leader's family as speakers.

The rally was centered on the idea of "Reclaiming the Dream" — from Beck and his supporters, specifically. Many in the mostly black crowd see elements of racism among Beck's followers and the tea party movement, who have been sharply critical of President Barack Obama. Beck and his supporters vehemently deny any racism, and Beck noted that he had spent the previous night in the same Washington hotel where King had finished his 1963 speech.

Racial tensions only intensified after the passage of health care reform legislation, when tea party protesters were heard singing "We shall overcome" and Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga,) and Andre Carson (D-Ind.) said they were subjected to racial slurs. The issue deepened following the firing of Shirley Sherrod, an Agriculture Department official, after a videotape appeared to show her saying at an NAACP function that she wouldn't help a struggling white farmer. The tape had been edited in a way that distorted what she said, and her firing became an embarrassment for the Obama administration. She later was offered to return to the agency but declined the fulltime position.

On Saturday, demonstrators wrapped around the block, banging drums and slapping tambourines. A funk bank played Marvin Gaye covers inside the stadium, as participants waved a large pan-African flag overhead and speakers took shots at Beck and his supporters.

"Never again will we allow our history to be stolen or robbed by other people!" Dunbar High School principal Steven Jackson declared to the roaring crowd.